Patrons oppose efforts to shut down Internet cafes

Published: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 5:36 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 5:36 p.m.

Customers were standing in line Monday morning waiting for a seat at the Palms Internet Cafe off State Road 200 in the Friendship Shopping Plaza. The place was hopping with senior citizens waiting for a chance to sit down at the computers that, for all intents and purposes, look like slot machines.

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"This happens all day long," said Ashley Krug, who was handing out tickets to a half dozen customers who came in one after another handing her anywhere from $20 to $50 in one five-minute period. "I have a hard time even going to the restroom."

Krug said many of her customers, quite a few of whom are "regulars," are upset that the Florida Legislature and the governor are working to shut down Internet cafes, where seniors meet friends and play the games, sometimes every day.

Krug said she understands that the alleged fraud and money laundering the Allied Veterans of the World cafes are accused of, which resulted in nearly 60 arrests earlier this month, is wrong, but why punish the good businesses because of "one bad apple," she said.

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who had been a consultant for Allied Veterans, recently resigned, although she has not been implicated in any crimes.

There are an estimated 10 Internet cafes in the city of Ocala. According to Marion County spokeswoman Barbra Hernandez, the county does not distinguish the cafes from other B-1 to B-5 retail zoning establishments. The county's latest information is from January 2012, when there were six Internet cafes in unincorporated Marion County.

Just ask Krug's customers what they think of the proposed legislation that passed the House on Friday to shut down the Internet cafes and angry voices registering opposition start out-shouting one another even as eyes stay focused on the screens.

"All these seniors in here will not vote for the governor if he votes for this ban," Diane Shannon said as she sat at a machine watching the varied fish and whatnot spin and blink. "This is hurting no one. This is fun. These are people that are 80 and 90 years old doing this."

Cafe owners have gotten around the state's gambling laws by calling what they offer sweepstakes, much like getting a Monopoly scratch-off card at McDonalds. You buy a hamburger, you get a chance to play.

At Internet cafes, customers ostensibly "buy" time on the Internet or a facsimile machine for, say, $20. In turn, they are handed a ticket, which gives them a certain number of chances to win by playing the games that appear on computer screens. The software for the games looks nearly identical to slot machine games. Customers decide which games they want to play, whether for 22 cents or $22, for example, and try to win a cash prize.

"We can't play golf. We can't play tennis. We're all senior citizens," said Evelyn Weinreb, who lives in Oak Run, a retirement community off State Road 200. "This is the only place we can go where we can have fun. Leave us alone. We earned our money. Don't tell us how to spend it."

Weinreb said she has seen people come in the Palms on oxygen or using walkers.

"This is the only pleasure we have. Let them leave us alone," she said.

Asked how long they stay, the two friends started laughing. Weinreb said with a chuckle that she leaves at 5 p.m. every day because she has to go home and cook dinner for her husband.

"It is better than sitting home all day," Weinreb added. "It's like a senior center. Everybody loves it."

Bauder said she believes the cafes have been good for her health. She used to sit home watching movies all day.

"You get dressed and go out," Bauder said.

She said she even has seen an elderly woman who has no money come in and have a free meal.

Bauder said the cafes are bringing jobs, renting empty storefronts and patronizing neighborhood restaurants that provide the food the cafes give customers. She is not swayed by the argument the cafes cause crimes by people robbing them.

"They rob banks, don't they? Bauder said. "They don't close them up. 7-Elevens — they are robbed all the time."

Weinreb said if the state wants to regulate the cafes or tax them, the state should do that, and the cafes will comply. But she said the state should not shut them down. She said she would "never" vote for state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who is adamantly opposed to the cafes.

"Why don't they stop the lottery?" Weinreb said. "That's gambling."

Reminded that lottery money is earmarked for education, she said, "They don't give what they were supposed to give for the kids."

Irma Cruz was sitting one aisle over from Weinreb and Bauder.

"We are trying to find work for people, for our unemployed," Cruz said. "Is the governor going to replace these jobs after they close all these down? Everybody is going to lose."

Cruz, who said she has an illness, added: "I come here to socialize with other people. If I am home, all I think about is my illness. Here I talk to everybody."

Shannon said she is going to sell her home and move to Arizona.

"We have no activities here except what they have in senior communities and I don't live in one," Shannon said.

Robert Staner, who lives in Palm Cay, said he comes to the Palms every other day. He does not see anything wrong with the games.

"It kills time," he said.

Skip Dillard, who comes to the cafe about five times a week with his wife, Joan, said the cafe provides entertainment and, if they win some money, it pays for their breakfast out.

Asked about the Legislators' concern about robberies, he pointed out that a senior who was armed shot a robber at the Palms cafe.

"I fear for my life more on the highway — the seniors on the highway," Dillard said.

Dillard, who walks with a cane and has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, said he is not able to travel long distances. As much as he and his wife enjoy a regional strawberry festival, he is unable to walk that much and he does not golf any longer.

"It's my entertainment here. And hollering at my wife," he joked.

Joan Dillard said, with a smile, that she just tunes him out.

Further along State Road 200 is the Lucky Flamingo Internet Cafe, which has been open five weeks.

It was a lot quieter in there Monday morning.

The jackpot at the Palms is higher, explained Cliff Sheffield, Lucky Flamingo's manager.

"It's an adult version of video games," he said.

His customers are largely senior citizens.

"They come out of their homes. It gives them something to do during the day. It keeps them active," Sheffield said.

The Flamingo offers promotions, free entries and free food.

"We think they are going too fast, not doing what's more important," customer Nancy Conklin said about the Legislature's attempt to close the cafes.

Asked what she would do if the cafes were closed, she said, "Probably go home and watch TV. I don't know what we would do. We do this quite often."

She said she does not see any difference between the Flamingo and the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa run by the Seminole Indians, but Hard Rock is a long trip for seniors.

Her husband, Jerry Conklin, said they meet a lot of people at the cafes and no one is forcing them to go. He said they are given a cup of coffee and donuts. He said the Palm offers sub sandwiches and suppers. He said Hard Rock gives them nothing. He said he wonders if the Legislators are getting pressure from the Hard Rock to shut down the Internet Cafes.

"A lot of people at On Top of the World — they are by themselves. They get a meal and shoot the breeze with somebody," Jerry Conklin said. "What about the lottery and bingo? They legalized that. You know why? Because they can get their fingers in the pie."

Like many of the Palms customers, the Conklins are opposed to legislation that would close the Internet cafes.

"If they got a bus together to go to Tallahassee, we would be the first people on the bus," Nancy Conklin said.

<p>Customers were standing in line Monday morning waiting for a seat at the Palms Internet Cafe off State Road 200 in the Friendship Shopping Plaza. The place was hopping with senior citizens waiting for a chance to sit down at the computers that, for all intents and purposes, look like slot machines.</p><p>"This happens all day long," said Ashley Krug, who was handing out tickets to a half dozen customers who came in one after another handing her anywhere from $20 to $50 in one five-minute period. "I have a hard time even going to the restroom."</p><p>Krug said many of her customers, quite a few of whom are "regulars," are upset that the Florida Legislature and the governor are working to shut down Internet cafes, where seniors meet friends and play the games, sometimes every day.</p><p>Krug said she understands that the alleged fraud and money laundering the Allied Veterans of the World cafes are accused of, which resulted in nearly 60 arrests earlier this month, is wrong, but why punish the good businesses because of "one bad apple," she said.</p><p>Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who had been a consultant for Allied Veterans, recently resigned, although she has not been implicated in any crimes.</p><p>There are an estimated 10 Internet cafes in the city of Ocala. According to Marion County spokeswoman Barbra Hernandez, the county does not distinguish the cafes from other B-1 to B-5 retail zoning establishments. The county's latest information is from January 2012, when there were six Internet cafes in unincorporated Marion County.</p><p>Just ask Krug's customers what they think of the proposed legislation that passed the House on Friday to shut down the Internet cafes and angry voices registering opposition start out-shouting one another even as eyes stay focused on the screens.</p><p>"All these seniors in here will not vote for the governor if he votes for this ban," Diane Shannon said as she sat at a machine watching the varied fish and whatnot spin and blink. "This is hurting no one. This is fun. These are people that are 80 and 90 years old doing this."</p><p>Cafe owners have gotten around the state's gambling laws by calling what they offer sweepstakes, much like getting a Monopoly scratch-off card at McDonalds. You buy a hamburger, you get a chance to play.</p><p>At Internet cafes, customers ostensibly "buy" time on the Internet or a facsimile machine for, say, $20. In turn, they are handed a ticket, which gives them a certain number of chances to win by playing the games that appear on computer screens. The software for the games looks nearly identical to slot machine games. Customers decide which games they want to play, whether for 22 cents or $22, for example, and try to win a cash prize.</p><p>"We can't play golf. We can't play tennis. We're all senior citizens," said Evelyn Weinreb, who lives in Oak Run, a retirement community off State Road 200. "This is the only place we can go where we can have fun. Leave us alone. We earned our money. Don't tell us how to spend it."</p><p>Weinreb said she has seen people come in the Palms on oxygen or using walkers.</p><p>"This is the only pleasure we have. Let them leave us alone," she said.</p><p>Weinreb and her friend, Jean Bauder, come nearly every day.</p><p>"Even my kids say, 'Go for it, Mom,' " Bauder said. "This is therapy."</p><p>Asked how long they stay, the two friends started laughing. Weinreb said with a chuckle that she leaves at 5 p.m. every day because she has to go home and cook dinner for her husband.</p><p>"It is better than sitting home all day," Weinreb added. "It's like a senior center. Everybody loves it."</p><p>Bauder said she believes the cafes have been good for her health. She used to sit home watching movies all day.</p><p>"You get dressed and go out," Bauder said.</p><p>She said she even has seen an elderly woman who has no money come in and have a free meal.</p><p>Bauder said the cafes are bringing jobs, renting empty storefronts and patronizing neighborhood restaurants that provide the food the cafes give customers. She is not swayed by the argument the cafes cause crimes by people robbing them.</p><p>"They rob banks, don't they? Bauder said. "They don't close them up. 7-Elevens — they are robbed all the time."</p><p>Weinreb said if the state wants to regulate the cafes or tax them, the state should do that, and the cafes will comply. But she said the state should not shut them down. She said she would "never" vote for state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who is adamantly opposed to the cafes.</p><p>"Why don't they stop the lottery?" Weinreb said. "That's gambling."</p><p>Reminded that lottery money is earmarked for education, she said, "They don't give what they were supposed to give for the kids."</p><p>Irma Cruz was sitting one aisle over from Weinreb and Bauder.</p><p>"We are trying to find work for people, for our unemployed," Cruz said. "Is the governor going to replace these jobs after they close all these down? Everybody is going to lose."</p><p>Cruz, who said she has an illness, added: "I come here to socialize with other people. If I am home, all I think about is my illness. Here I talk to everybody."</p><p>Shannon said she is going to sell her home and move to Arizona.</p><p>"We have no activities here except what they have in senior communities and I don't live in one," Shannon said.</p><p>Robert Staner, who lives in Palm Cay, said he comes to the Palms every other day. He does not see anything wrong with the games.</p><p>"It kills time," he said.</p><p>Skip Dillard, who comes to the cafe about five times a week with his wife, Joan, said the cafe provides entertainment and, if they win some money, it pays for their breakfast out.</p><p>Asked about the Legislators' concern about robberies, he pointed out that a senior who was armed shot a robber at the Palms cafe.</p><p>"I fear for my life more on the highway — the seniors on the highway," Dillard said.</p><p>Dillard, who walks with a cane and has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, said he is not able to travel long distances. As much as he and his wife enjoy a regional strawberry festival, he is unable to walk that much and he does not golf any longer.</p><p>"It's my entertainment here. And hollering at my wife," he joked.</p><p>Joan Dillard said, with a smile, that she just tunes him out.</p><p>Further along State Road 200 is the Lucky Flamingo Internet Cafe, which has been open five weeks.</p><p>It was a lot quieter in there Monday morning.</p><p>The jackpot at the Palms is higher, explained Cliff Sheffield, Lucky Flamingo's manager.</p><p>"It's an adult version of video games," he said.</p><p>His customers are largely senior citizens.</p><p>"They come out of their homes. It gives them something to do during the day. It keeps them active," Sheffield said.</p><p>The Flamingo offers promotions, free entries and free food.</p><p>"We think they are going too fast, not doing what's more important," customer Nancy Conklin said about the Legislature's attempt to close the cafes.</p><p>Asked what she would do if the cafes were closed, she said, "Probably go home and watch TV. I don't know what we would do. We do this quite often."</p><p>She said she does not see any difference between the Flamingo and the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa run by the Seminole Indians, but Hard Rock is a long trip for seniors.</p><p>Her husband, Jerry Conklin, said they meet a lot of people at the cafes and no one is forcing them to go. He said they are given a cup of coffee and donuts. He said the Palm offers sub sandwiches and suppers. He said Hard Rock gives them nothing. He said he wonders if the Legislators are getting pressure from the Hard Rock to shut down the Internet Cafes.</p><p>"A lot of people at On Top of the World — they are by themselves. They get a meal and shoot the breeze with somebody," Jerry Conklin said. "What about the lottery and bingo? They legalized that. You know why? Because they can get their fingers in the pie."</p><p>Like many of the Palms customers, the Conklins are opposed to legislation that would close the Internet cafes.</p><p>"If they got a bus together to go to Tallahassee, we would be the first people on the bus," Nancy Conklin said.</p><p><i>Contact Susan Latham Carr at 867-4156 or susan.carr@starbanner.com.</i></p>